We have studied the nonlinear absorption spectra and optical limiting properties of 2,2'-(9,9-dihexyl) bifluorene. Measurements were done in chloroform solution, in the visible range (450-650 nm), and for nanosecond time-duration pulses. The two-photon absorption (TPA) spectrum, obtained by the up-conversion fluorescence method, shows a resonance at lambda = 534 nm with a cross-section sigma (TPA)=60 10(-50) cm(4).s/photon-molecule. Semiempirical quantum chemistry calculation on fluorene and bifluorene suggests an enhancement of the bifluorene TPA due to coupling effects between monomers. In nonlinear transmission measurements, two-photon absorption is reinforced by the excited-state absorption that occurs during the pulse duration. At resonance, the three-photon absorption coefficient is alpha (3) = 14 000 cm(3)/GW(2) for a bifluorene concentration of 600 g/L. This strong nonlinear absorption leads to an efficient optical power limiting in the green and blue parts of the spectrum. The maximum transmitted energy is lower than 10 muJ for an input energy of up to 200 muJ in a F/5 optical geometry. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.